Crimestoppers offers $5K reward for details on shooting death of Newark man

Crimestoppers is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in the death of Kendal Spear, 20, of Newark in July.Courtesy of Shaunae Davis

NEWARK — Authorities announced a cash reward today for information leading to an arrest in the shooting death of a 20-year-old Newark man.

Kendal Spear was gunned down July 15 on Harding Terrace shortly after 1 a.m., just hours after his parents had hosted a block party for the neighbors.

During the gathering, a fight broke out between Harding Terrace residents and a group that crashed the block party, according to Essex County Sheriff Armando Fontoura.

At some point during the altercation, shots rang out and Spear was fatally wounded. At the time, an unidentified 21-year-old man was also shot and suffered non-life threatening injuries. Spear was taken to University Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 1:12 a.m.

A South Ward native, Spear graduated from Newark Arts High School and was attending an automotive mechanic school in Orlando, Fla., according to his friends. He was in town to surprise his girlfriend on her birthday, they said.

Crimestoppers will pay up to $5,000 for details surrounding the murder of Spear, Fontoura said.

Anyone with information should contact Det. Phillip Gregory of the Essex County Prosecutor's Homicide Squad at (973) 621-4586 or (973) 349-4117. All calls will be kept confidential.